Damian Crough, Associate Professor Tuan Ngo and Dr Ali Kashani in the lab with a block of glass-impregnated concrete.

A team from the Melbourne School of Engineering led by Associate Professor Tuan Ngo has developed a lightweight prefabricated concrete material that is stronger and cheaper than traditional concrete.

The team received two grants in 2016, funded by Sustainability Victoria and Tyre Stewardship Australia as well as a consortium of industry partners. The outcome of the research has now been featured in the media.

Associate Professor Ngo says that with dwindling sand supplies, waste glass was an obvious choice to replace sand as a core ingredient in concrete.

“The next generation of prefabricated structures can benefit from Australia’s eco-friendly, prefabricated housing research which is striving to deliver breakthrough products to enable our housing industry to compete on a global stage,” says Associate Professor Ngo.